In Africa, Leblouh refers to the practice of force-feeding young girls for marriage. Heavier girls and women are viewed as beautiful, wealthy and socially-accepted while their slimmer counterparts are considered inferior and bring shame on their families in Mauritanian society.
In Mauritanian culture, being thin is unappealing. A fat girl symbolizes wealth and social class. This practice, also known as gavage, dates back to a time when Mauritania’s population consisted of lowly, white Moor Arabs.
Back then, a Mauritanian man was considered wealthy and well-respected if his wives did not engage in housework. Since they spent most of their time just sitting and being lazy by not doing any work, these wives gradually gained weight. Of its 3.2 million people, one-third of Mauritania’s population belongs to the Moor tribe. Overtime, being overweight became culturally acceptable.
Girls as young as five years old are sent to fattening farms in Mauritania where they are forced to consume thousands of calories each day. These “fat camps” are run by elderly women known as “fatteners” whose main goals is to ensure these little girls are fed as many calories as possible in order to gain weight.
For breakfast, the girls have breadcrumbs soaked in olive oil washed down with camel’s milk. They then have frequent meals throughout the day of goat’s meat, bread, figs and couscous, all with more camel milk to drink. After being force-fed, the girls would not be allowed to move or engage in any kind of exercise, and must rest instead.
Though still active, this practice of force-feeding girls is becoming old-fashioned.
PNN
